BENICIA >> The police department wants to remind residents and businesses that new alarm rules have gone into effect as of Dec. 4.

People with alarm systems are required to register their houses or businesses and pay a fee of $25.

Unregistered alarms will be fined $100 if authorities arrive and it’s a false alarm. If it happens a second time, the fee is $200, and three or more times will cost $300.

For those who register, the fee is waived for the first time a false alarm occurs. Subsequent false alarms will cost $100, then $200, and $300 for a third one and any after that.

The department has contracted with a company called CryWolf that will manage the program. According to Benicia police, false alarms were the single biggest calls for service that they faced every year, with an average of 1,500 calls.

The new program will allow the police to concentrate on more pressing needs, they said.